SANDY, Utah (Saturday, February 12, 2011) – Real Salt
Lake
overcame short odds in a special Major
League Soccer player lottery held Friday to acquire the League contract rights
to forward Cody Arnoux. Despite
having just a 5.4% chance to come out the winner, Real Salt Lake beat out five
other teams – Houston Dynamo (48.9%), Seattle Sounders FC (24.2%), Columbus
Crew (19.4%), Portland Timbers (1.6%) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0.5%) – to
claim the MLS services of the 22-year-old striker. While now officially a
member of Real Salt Lake, it will be a while until the striker will get to see
the field, as Arnoux is currently rehabbing from a knee injury suffered last
November that will sideline him until at least March.

“We are very excited to have obtained the
rights to this highly sought-after player, especially considering our slim
chances,” said Real Salt Lake GM Garth
Lagerwey.

Major League Soccer uses the lottery
mechanism for: 1) players who have completed their college eligibility and sign
after the SuperDraft; 2) underclassmen who sign Generation adidas contracts
after the SuperDraft; and 3) players who
were previously offered MLS contracts and did not sign. After winning
Friday’s lottery, Real Salt Lake will be unable to participate in any future
MLS player lotteries held during the 2011 calendar year.

After three standout seasons with Wake Forest
University, including his 2007 sophomore year in which he led the Demon Deacons
to their first NCAA College Cup title, Arnoux would skip his senior season in
Winston Salem and turned down an MLS contract to sign with Everton. After
finishing out his one-year contract with the English Premiership stalwart in
2009-10, during which he performed for the team’s reserve side, and afterwards failing
to catch on during a trial with English League One club Plymouth Argyle FC,
Arnoux would return to North America last summer, signing with Vancouver
Whitecaps FC, then of the USSF D-2 Pro League. Despite Vancouver jumping to the
ranks of Major League Soccer in 2011, the squad was not eligible to retain his
MLS rights due to his turning down a valid contract offer from the League after
leaving school in 2008, leading to yesterday’s special lottery.

Fans can secure their
seats now for both Real Salt Lake’s March
1 CONCACAF Quarterfinal Leg Two fixture against the Columbus Crew and its March 26 MLS home opener against the Los
Angeles Galaxy via the “RSL 2011
2-Pack” (beginning at just $80) and the “RSL 2011 Flex 10-Pack” (beginning at $200). Both of these special
ticket offers, in addition to single-game
tickets for both matches and RSL 2011 Season Ticket Packages, can be
purchased online at www.RealSaltLake.com,
over the phone at 801-727-2700, or
in person at the Rio Tinto Stadium
box office during regular business hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. MT. Single-game
tickets for all 2011 MLS regular season contests at Rio Tinto Stadium will go
on sale Monday morning beginning at 10:00 a.m.

2010: Vancouver
Whitecaps FC – USSF D-2 Pro League: Signed by Whitecaps
FC on 8/18 … Made his debut a day later in a 1-1 draw @ FC Tampa Bay … Scored
his first Whitecaps FC goal in the club's regular season finale, as Vancouver
drew 2-2 v. Portland on 10/02.

2009-10: Everton FC – English Premier League: After
impressing on trial, signed a one-year contract with Everton FC on 8/04/09 … As
a member of the Everton reserve squad, the striker made seven appearances in
the English Premier Reserve League North … Scored in a 3-0 home win over
Burnley reserves on 8/25/09 … Struck for the equalizer in a 1-1 draw v.
Sunderland reserves on 11/23/09 … During Everton stint, trialed with Scottish
Premier League club Motherwell FC in March 2010 … After being released by
Everton at the end of the previous season, Arnoux had a trial with English
League One side Plymouth Argyle FC in July 2010.

2007-09: Carolina Dynamo – USL Premier Development League: During
his time at Wake Forest University, played three summers with PDL club Carolina
Dynamo … 2007: The
striker made one appearance for the Dynamo, though it proved to be an eventful
one, as he scored the game-winner and the squad’s sixth goal in an 8-0
trouncing of Cocoa Expos on 6/23 … 2008:Scored four goals and two assists in eight appearances … Those goals came in a 2-0 win @ Nashville
Metros (6/07), a 4-2 defeat @ Cary Clarets (6/14), a 3-3 draw v. Central
Florida Kraze (6/21), and a 4-2 defeat v. Atlanta Silverbacks U-23's (7/19) … 2009: Was named
to the PDL's All-Eastern Conference Team after scoring eight goals and
recording three assists in seven appearances during his third season with the
Dynamo … Scored twice in a 6-1 win v. West Virginia Chaos on 5/09 … Notched a
hat-trick in a 5-1 victory @ West Virginia Chaos on 6/25 … Also scored two
goals in a 5-1 win v. Virginia Legacy on 6/27.

College

Enjoyed a standout three-year career at Wake Forest University,
helping lift the Demon Deacon program to elite status in the always-tough
Atlantic Coast Conference ... 2006: The
striker was named in the College Soccer
News' "100 Freshmen to Watch List" when he joined the Demon
Deacons for his freshman year … Made 14 appearances that season, with his first
goal being a match-winner in their ACC regular season finale v. Virginia on
10/27 … 2007: Named
a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Third-Team All-American
and to the All-ACC First-Team after a stellar sophomore year, as the Demon
Deacons went on to win their first National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I men's soccer championship title … Was one of seven Wake
Forest players to play in all 26 matches and led the team in goals (15),
game-winning goals (5), and shots (58) … Scored two goals in Wake's 3-1 win
over West Virginia in the third round of the NCAA College Cup … Was named to
the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team en route to the National Championship
… 2008: In
his junior year, the striker was a semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic
Club's (MAC) Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the top NCAA player … Named a
NSCAA Second-Team All-American and to the All-ACC First Team for a second
straight year after leading the Demon Deacons with 17 goals and 42 points in 24
matches … Those efforts helped Arnoux become the third player in Wake Forest
history to eclipse the 40-point mark in a single season … Haul included a total
of 16 goals in the final 16 games of his junior year, as the Demon Deacons
reached the NCAA College Cup Semifinals before falling to ACC rivals University
of North Carolina.

U.S. Youth National
Teams
Arnoux represented the United States at both the U-15 and U-18 National Team
levels.

High School/Club
Named a two-time NSCAA Youth All-American and the 2005 North Carolina Player of
the Year as a member of New Hanover High School in Wilmington, NC … Serving as
captain, Arnoux registered 106 goals and 82 assists with the Wildcats, with the
striker taking Most Valuable Player and All-North Carolina honors in the
process … Was a member of the adidas Elite Soccer Program and U.S. Youth
Soccer's Region III Olympic Development Program … Started his youth soccer days
as an eight-year-old with the Cape Fear Soccer Association in Wilmington …
Played for Cape Fear Breakers before spending a season with the U-18 Coastal
Crew team at the Onslow Classic Soccer Association in Jacksonville, NC … Also
played for the U-19 Elite side of the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) in
Raleigh, NC … As a student, also attended St. Mary Catholic School in
Wilmington, NC.

PersonalBorn in the Long Island hamlet of Stony Brook, NY, was raised in
Wilmington, NC, after moving there with his family as a two-year-old … Son of
Nanci and Jim Arnoux … Is a dual citizen of both the United States and Italy …
Majored in Communications at Wake Forest … Away from the field, enjoys many
outdoor pursuits like fishing, hiking, hunting, and surfing … Is a fan of the
side he once represented, English Premier League side Everton FC, and the
Spanish National Team … Favorite players include Chelsea FC and Spain striker Fernando
Torres, former Brazil star Ronaldo, and Besiktas and Portugal forward Ricardo
Quaresma.